Secrets in the Shadows
by tsurara619
Summary: Summary: All the Oni and Shadow khan were sealed in Tarakudo's mask. All except for a mysterious female shadow khan sealed at the intersection of the Human and Shadow realms. One archeological dig was all it took for all hell to break lose. Disclaimer: I own nothing except the OCs and whatever else I add.
1. Prologue

**Secrets in the Shadows**

**Summary:** All the Oni and Shadow khan were sealed in Tarakudo's mask. All except for a mysterious female shadow khan sealed at the intersection of the Human and Shadow realms. One archeological dig was all it took for all hell to break lose.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing except the OCs and whatever else I add.

**A/N:** Heavily inspired by "The Tenth Tribe" and "Queen of all Oni". I totally ripped off Inuyasha with the well thing but at least they function way differently. Sorry about that. Feel free to criticize and point out errors. Suggestions are appreciated too. I'm new at this.

**Prologue**

"Father, why!?" a young girl asked. Her voice was laced with disbelief. She was being betrayed by the only person she cared about. The one she served with blind loyalty and loved as though he were kin. The one she considered her father.

"The humans know nothing about you Kumori. It's better for it to stay that way. I am renouncing you. You are no longer my general nor child. Goodbye." said the red Oni with the tone of finality as he sealed the well closed.

"No! Please! What did I do wrong? Please forgive me if I have committed a mistake. I'll do better! I'll make you proud. Don't leave me alone! Master! Please! Don't leave! Father! Father!"

The red Oni remained cold and uncaring despite the child's relentless pleading and heartbreaking sobs. She never committed a mistake nor had she committed any offence. He merely wanted her out of the picture. She was his greatest shame and secret. Not even his generals knew of her. Only Ikazuki did.

Much of his conquest's successes were due of her efforts - hers and the Shadow khan's. She was his oldest and most loyal servant but she was not Oni. It was a stain on his record.

She used to be human like all the other Dark Ones. During her early years under him, she was touched by the shadows. She fell into the well by accident and found herself in the shadow realm with newfound powers.

It was then at that moment that everything began. The red Oni learned of the secrets of the Shadow realm. He gained control over the shadow khan. He became more powerful than ever. But, so did she.

She was a true Dark One. The last of them. They both wiped out the others. She did it under his orders. He did it to get rid of the competition. They were against him. They were fools. They were weak unlike his female general. They refused to kill or even use their power to rule over the humans.

As an Oni, he couldn't truly be one of them but he did learn of their secrets. He held their power.

The red Oni grew to fear the child's power. She was a true sentient Shadow khan. She understood the secrets far better than him. Her connection to the realm was much more powerful compared to his. He disliked being second. He wanted what she had. Perfect control over Shadow khan. Sole ownership of the power. Being at the top.

It was ironic how the very thing that gave her power was what her dear father used to keep her sealed away.

The well was powerful enough to keep her locked away for all eternity. It may weaken every few years when the blasted beasts come out of the shadow realm to _play_ but she wouldn't be able to escape. Only he, or another sentient shadow khan, can remove the seal. No one can save her.

The island itself kept people away. It was deemed to be an island of Yokai. It kept the pesky humans away but the red Oni needed to make sure. The island was then fortified with large and deadly rocks creating numerous rapids and whirlpools. It was blanketed by harsh winds and unpredictable weather.

The island itself was calm, serene, and untouched by the extremities protecting it. No one will ever know that though. No one will ever set foot on that island. Not even magic can break forces of nature. At least, the red Oni hoped that. He wouldn't want to face Kumori's anger. Yes, she was like a daughter to him but she was too dangerous to keep around. He didn't want her getting any ideas.

His decision to be rid of his tenth and most efficient general proved fatal. He lost his means of preventing the humans from bringing about his downfall. Japanese chi magic had always been a threat. And thus, the reign of Tarakudo, Lord of all Oni, ended.


	2. Chapter 1 - The Dark Ones

**Secrets in the Shadows**

**Summary:** All the Oni and Shadow khan were sealed in Tarakudo's mask. All except for a mysterious female shadow khan sealed at the intersection for the Human and Shadow realms. One archeological dig was all it took for all hell to break lose.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing except the OCs and whatever else I add.

**A/N:** Heavily inspired by "The Tenth Tribe"and "Queen of all Oni". Feel free to criticize and point out errors. Suggestions are appreciated too. I'm a little new at this.

**Chapter 1** - The Dark Ones

Jade Chan was known for many things but not for her patience. All her excitement and relief left her as soon as she saw the huge heap of nothing they worked hard to get to.

During the first hour, she ranted about all their wasted efforts and her personal bitterness and disappointment with the place. At the next hour, she screamed and complained about the heat, the food, the - everything actually. After that, she tried to get her uncle to just stop bouncing all over the place like a monkey on extreme sugar rush. And then finally, she gave up and sat on a rock while glaring holes at her uncle's back in contempt.

He could feel her waves of anger but he didn't do anything about it. He was too preoccupied with amazement. He and his colleagues were overjoyed when they were given the chance to excavate the mysterious island.

Uncle always said that magic must defeat magic. It seems nature must defeat nature too.

It was impossible to enter until last week. A strong earthquake destroyed the terrifying pointy rocks at the northwest of the island. Those things were large enough to impale ships the size of the Oceanic.

The storm and system malfunctions disheartened everyone else but Jackie and Jade made it through by rowing like Spartans while reciting the mantra, Bad Day! Bad Day! Bad Day!, over and over again in a lifeboat.

It wasn't like they had a choice. They had no idea which direction they were rowing and the storm kept raging at them. At least they didn't end up in a whirlpool.

"Jackie, you've been circling that thing for hours. You should be doing something productive like figuring out a way out of this deadbeat island before we...I don't know...starve to death."

Jade was on her last legs. She was not eating anything from this place. It was just so...weird. The plants were all murky. They were either black, grey, a dark bluish or reddish color. The soil and rocks were all unusually dark in color too - bordering purple and blue.

She kept feeling uneasy. At the back of her mind, she the place was not to be trifled with. She felt suffocated and belittled just by being there. She couldn't place it but she knew there was something weird with the island. Something familiar.

"I know, but aren't you curious about this place."

Jade gritted her teeth at that. Rather than lightening her sour mood, Jackie got her to deepen her scowl. Sure she was very curious but her gut kept twisting. It kept screaming at her to get the heck out of there. If anything, getting away would stop the incessant static noises she kept hearing in her head.

He wasn't really worried. He knew that someone must be looking for them.

It was odd. Because Jade was being a pessimist, Jackie had become the optimist. It was usually the other way around but balance always finds a way.

"This well is thousands of years old. This island is obviously inaccessible and nearly impossible to live in. Why do you think they built one here?"

'It might be from the late Yayoi or the early Kofun period.' thought Jackie as he examined the simple style of construction.

"Ch! I don't care about that stupid well. I wanted to see the ghost girl and the demon snakes. That thing is not a pleasing trade-off."

Jackie raised an eyebrow at his sour niece's behavior. It was only luck that they both had their backpacks with them when the storm hit. Jade was so excited about the island that she literally shoved the heavy bag to him while narrating to him what she thought they would see.

She's been a stiff ever since they got there. Her attitude turned a complete 180.

_Maybe she's hungry._

"Patience, and its yokai, Japanese demon. There's a difference." Jade just continued glaring.

"Here, touch the well. Maybe it will cool you off." Jackie chuckled at his lame pun.

Jade had no idea why he was laughing at such a situation but she complied anyway. She begrudgingly left the large purplish rock she had been sitting on for a while. She growled and muttered angrily on the way. She slammed her hand on the black wooden cover of the well to show her uncle that she was pissed off. To her surprise, the wood was stone hard and...ice cold.

"How's it doing that?" she whispered in disbelief and shock.

"I don't know. I was looking for inscriptions but there's nothing. It's just plain black wood." said Jackie.

"Magic." Jade whispered again. Her face grew pallid.

"I thought so too. The trees aren't cold like the well but they're clearly the same material..." Jackie started to babble about his theories and failed to notice the panic in his niece.

She kept her hand on the cold surface. She was frozen stiff. The well was letting her feel things. She could feel anguish, sadness, despair, and hopelessness.

The static cleared for her. She could hear soft quiet sobs mixed with guttural animal-like sounds and random hisses.

That wasn't what kept her glued there like a statue though. It was the sensation - the familiar dry cold that numbed her body - the familiar burst of strength and presence of power. It was all too familiar and it frightened her. She was scared because she didn't want to remember this sensation. She didn't want turn into...that again.

No wonder she got so cranky. The island itself was actively feeding her the very thing she has in most of her nightmares. Not even Shendu could compare to this in the freak-o-meter.

The light disappeared. It was night time now. The moon was starting to rise. If Jackie wasn't looking at the beautiful myriad of stars and the thin crescent moon in the night sky as he babbled, he would have noticed that his niece turned blue.

She whimpered when she felt the wood go warm. it was a good warmth. It felt loving and caring. Like family kind of warmth. The wood was beating like a heartbeat. The negative feelings flooding into her changed into happiness, relief, and hope. When the well started to glow, Jade finally regained her senses and let go.

"Uh...Jackie." she tugged her uncle's sleeve to try and let him know of the...problem.

"Jade you should look at the stars! They're..." Jackie's smile was wiped from his face when he saw his blue skinned niece. Her red eyes looked at him fearfully.

"Jade you're blue!" he yelled in shock. Jade looked confused but realized what he meant when she saw her hands. She began to panic internally while Jackie stared at the well that was spewing black mist as it glowed rhythmically like a heartbeat.

_"Tono-sama? Chichiue?"_ (1)a female voice called out from inside the well.

She sounded happy but Jade and Jackie were scared out of their wits.

The wood covering that sealed the well shattered to pieces. Serpents of all sizes came flying out of the well. They looked oddly familiar to the group. Other creatures vaguely similar to other known animals came scurrying out into the sky as well. They flew around as though they were dancing...celebrating.

Above the well hovered a young girl wearing a black kimono with elbow length sleeves, black pants and tabi boots. She wore arm guards and shin guards. Around her neck was a black scarf that trailed around like her long and wild black hair seemingly floating in water. She had striking red irises, blue skin, and vampire-like teeth.

Despite the girl's appearance screaming shadow khan, the Chans were more focused on her shocked and hurt expression. She was obviously expecting someone else. Her tears flowed down her resigned face.

It was weird. Shadow khan could not feel, couldn't they?

_"Tono-sama janai. Yapari ne. Watashi wa honto ni hoki sareta."(2)_

The two chi wizards were researching about the island that Jackie and Jade went to. The three ex-Enforcers, now chi apprentices, were doing the gopher work among other things.

There was a high chance that the island had some magic mojo. At first, they thought it was the legendary Penglai mountain. It was proven false when they looked into the local legends surrounding the place. While it was still sacred ground, it was the opposite of white.

It was believed to be some sort of yokai island among other things. Some believed that it was the gateway to the land of the dead. Others believed that deities lived there. Demons, even the Oni, were supposedly afraid of the place. It was impossible to get to. Not even magic could help.

Rather than appear once every after a few years like most legends with mysterious islands, this one tended to disappear instead. The rare event only ever occurred during the night. Its disappearance meant that dark creatures would fill the night sky. The mournful cries of a young girl would resound in the darkness.

None of the creatures ever attacked the nearby settlements. They would only become aggressive when humans would go near. They seemed oddly protective, hence the deity theories.

People started becoming uneasy and a little paranoid ever since the accidental revelation of magic and the works. The island was too mysterious. Answers were demanded. Who else to come to but the experts.

All was well and peaceful at Uncle's Rare Finds until Tohru got the willies. Everyone promptly froze.

"Big T? Was that...?" the Irish ginger trailed waveringly.

He was not very confident with his magic yet. He, along with Ratso and Chow, were beginners. Despite having excellent teachers and staggering experience, 3 and a half months was not enough if the threat was especially big. And the Chi wizards only get the willies when it's really bad.

"Hey Finn, what's with the outfit?" Jade casually asked.

Rather than his usual attire, the man in question was wearing cargo pants, combat boots, a black fitting sleeveless shirt, his trademark necklace, a wireless radio on his neck and left ear, a white apron, and yellow cooking gloves. In his hand was a tray of butter cookies and a pot of tea in the other.

"I spied on my nephew's new suspicious female friend to see if she was tight and Ratso made cookies." he replied casually on impulse.

"AIYAA!"

Saying Uncle was surprised would be an understatement. Tohru actually feared that his sensei had a heart attack.

In the middle of the workshop was Jade, Jackie, and an unknown teenage girl. Both Jade and said girl were blue.

"SHADOW KHAN!?" Ratso and Chow yelled dropping their book and staff respectively. The former pulled out a newt and pointed it while quivering. They had had enough of those ninjas.

Finn's jaw dropped when he turned and saw the dreaded scenario.

"Kumori-chan meet my kazoku! And I can't believe you spied on Charlie's date. That's just wrong."(3) Jade exclaimed happily.

"We can..uh..explain." said Jackie as he wilted from the shocked and disapproving eyes burrowing holes into him. Everyone was ignoring Jade's words and the fact that she was eating blue strawberry like fruits.

"Explain." Tohru deadpanned. He really had no idea what to make of the situation. He was angry, confused, frustrated, fearful, and overall worried. It was driving him nuts.

Jackie then related their story. He explained that shadow travel was the only option they could think of to escape the island.

The girl had to come with them because she was the only one who could do that safely and the two Chans didn't want to leave a poor girl whose heart had been shattered in the worst way possible. Even if she was a shadow khan.

Kumori explained her background while Jade and Tohru worked as translators. She told the about Tarakudo's betrayal. And her newfound attachment to Jade.

"Family must stick together. We are both sentient shadow khan. We are sisters now. And you, our brother, yes?" she said in ancient Japanese.

"Huh?"

Kumori pointed to Tohru who was both surprised and confused.

She could sense that he had been touched by shadows before. If the sumo had gone to the island, he would have regained his shadow khan gifts as well. The presence of the linking well, the intersecting point of the two worlds, assured such a thing. It was after all, the closest her kind could relate to holy ground. It was where all true shadow khan were born.

"AIYAA! SHADOW KHAN EVIL MAGIC! ONE MORE THING! PREPUBECENT GIRL TOO SUSPICIOUS! ONE MORE THING! WE MUST CHANGE JADE BACK! ONE MORE THING! WE MUST DO RESEARCH!" Uncle yelled out in frustration.

"Oh? I can undo my appearance just fine." she replied in her native tongue.

Kumori's skin turned fair and her eyes turned dark brown. Everyone was stumped.

"And I'm not prepubescent. I'm biologically 16." she pouted. For some reason, she could understand English perfectly. She just couldn't speak, write, or read it.

"And Shadow magic is not evil. It depends only on who controls it. It is elemental magic. A part of nature. Dear brother and sister were only overwhelmed by the evil chi of my _FORMER master._ It was from his mark that they turned. Not from the Well of Shadows." The now seemingly human teenage girl explained. She especially added venom when referring to the ungrateful Oni.

Jade repeated what she said in English.

"Now that dear sister has properly been turned, she is now a true sentient shadow khan free of any foreign influence. I sense that she has great talent. She will learn my teachings just fine." she finished happily. Again, in ancient Japanese.

"You have got to teach me how to do that transforming thing. I don't want to look like a blueberry forever." said Jade excitedly.

"Aiyaa! Jade will NOT be learning evil magic."

"She learn and it NOT evil!" she retorted in a strained attempt at English.

"It is evil!"

"Not evil!"

"Evil!"

"Not evil!"

(1) - "Master? Father?"

(2) - "Not master. I knew it. I truly was abandoned."

(3) - Kumori-chan: the chan part is an honorific. the Kumori part is a name. it means shadow.

kazoku: means family.

I'm not really good at Japanese, especially in grammar. Correct me if I'm wrong.


End file.
